MEDFORD, Ore. – The National Weather Service is adding a new type of Red Flag Warning on the west coast to keep people informed of any unusually high wildfire risk.
It’s called a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning.
The National Weather Service said both red flag warnings are similar, but a PDS means weather conditions can threaten people’s lives.
That warning is reserved for the driest and windiest conditions.
“So, if there’s a PDS Red Flag, for those particularly dangerous conditions, it often means there’s a fire on the ground and the weather conditions are getting worse, so we need you to be more in tune with evacuation notices,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Miles Bliss said.
Bliss said an example of a PDS would be the conditions leading up to the Almeda Fire and the other 2020 Labor Day weekend fires across the state.
The National Weather Service said they expect to use the warning only on rare occasions, about once every three to five years.
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